Car-coupling



(No Model) J. LA BURT.

GAR COUPLING- -N0. 475,219.. Patented May 17,1892.

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NITED STATES" ATENT FFICE.

JOHN LA BURT, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WVILLIAM H. AGRICOLA, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,219, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed August 11, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN LA BURT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings; and the object of my invention is to produce an extremely simple and inexpensive coupling by means of which two cars may be automatically coupled, and which is constructed in such a manner that it cannot possibly uncouple by accident and may be uncoupled by the brakeman without danger.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view, partly in section, showing two united couplings. Fig. 2 is a broken vertical longitudinal section of one coupling on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of a coupling, showing it attached to a car; and Fig. 4 is a broken sectional plan of the coupling.

The coupling has a draw-head 10, with a rearwardly-extending shank 11, which facilitates its attachment to a car, and the drawhead is recessed horizontally, as shown at 12, and a locking-arm 13 is pivoted in one corner of the draw-head, at the front end, so as to swing in the recess 12. The front portion 14 of the locking-arm is adapted to swing into a position nearly at right angles with the longitudinal line of the draw-head and engage the locking-arm of an opposing coupling, and the rear portion 15 of the locking-arm extends back into the draw-head.

The construction above described forms no part of my invention; but the essential feature of my invention is the lock for holding the locking-arm in position. Above the horizontal recess 12 in the draw-head, and near the rear portion of the latter, is a recess 16, in which a tumbler 17 is pivoted so as to swing vertically, and the tumbler is positioned in relation to the locking-arm so that when the Serial No. 402,374. (No model.)

arm is in locked position and the rear portion 15 thereof. is forced back into the drawhead the tumbler 17 will drop in front of the rear-end portion of the locking-arm, and will thus hold it in position. The tumbler 17 has a shank 18, which extends upward through the draw-head, and to this shank is fixed a laterally-extending handle 19, beneath which is the inner end of an operating-lever 20, which lever is pivoted on a car 21 and eX- tends outward to one side of the car, so that the brakeman by tilting the lever may raise the tumbler and uncouple the cars without going between the cars.

It will be understood that any ordinary lever-and-chain mechanism may be used for operating the tumbler from the top of the car as well as from the sides. When the cars are uncoupled, the locking-arm 13 swings into the position shown in Fig. 4, with the rear portion 15 extending in front of the draw-head,

that the tumbler 17 is pivoted at one end,-

which end is placed in advance of the free end and is located above the locking-arm, so that the latter may easily pass the tumbler.

I am aware that pawls have been used in connection with locking-arms like that described; but these pawls have been arranged to engage the end of the locking-arm instead of dropping in front of it,so that they are not sure to hold.

An advantage of the particular form of tumbler shown in the drawings is that in case the cars are upon a grade, so that there is more or less strain on the locking-arm, the construction of the tumbler and its connection with the handle 19 affords sufficient leverage to easily raise the tumbler so as to release the locking-arm.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a car-coupling, the draw-head 10, having a horizontal recess 12 and a recess 16, leading therefrom through the upper side of the drawhead, the locking-arm 13,-pivoted at its angle or bend in the front corner of the recess 12 to swing horizontally, the tumbler 11, pivoted at its upper forward portion in the recess 16 and having its front and rear edges inclined, as shown, to eo-operate with the rear end 15 of the arm 13, and a, rearwardly-projecting handle 19, secured to the rear upper portion [0 of the tumbler 11 above the draw-head, substantially as set forth.

- JOHN LA BURT. Witnesses:

WARREN B. HUTcHINsoN, E. M. CLARK. 

